Basket making machine



Oct. 13, 1936. w. F. NEwHousE '2,057,342

BASKET MAKING MACHINE` Filed Nov.-l8, 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 A, my

- Oct. 13,I 1936. w. F. N'Ewl-.IOUSE BASKET MAKING MACHINE .Filed Nov. 18, 1955 s sheets-sheet 2 Patented Oct. 13, 1936 UNITED g STA-,Tas

PATENT OFFICE BASKET MAKING MACHINE Walter F. Newhouse, Benton Harbor, Mich.` Application November 18, 1935, Serial No. 50,277

` `9 claims. (01.147-47) This invention relates to basket machinery, and more particularly to machinery for making the modern straight side bushel baskets, or half bushel baskets, by which is meant abasket made from a single mat of crossed staves of splint material with an arched'bottom, and top and bottom and middle hoops, and with thebottom hoop secured in position'to maintain the arched formation `of the basket bottom, and theinvention relates especiallyV to the `instrumentalities and method- -for securing the Vsaid bottom hoop in place; H i l 1 Generallyv stated, the object of the invention is toprovide an improved construction and method whereby the machine itself is provided with mechanical means for bending and shaping the staves over the corner or edge of the smaller end ofthe frusto-conical basket form upon which the baskets are made, and at the same time stapling the said bottomhoop-in position with its lower edge flush, or practically flush, with the bottom of the basket, Vby coiling the bottom hoop `strip over an element ofthe said mechanical means for bending and shaping the staves against the adjacent corner of the basket form., and by thereafter withdrawing the said machine element from between the bottom' hoop and the side of the basket,'leaving saidhoopA tightly fastened in place, and with the lower edge of the hoop flush, or practically ilush,` with the bottom of the basket.

Itis alsoyan object to provide certain details andlfeatu`res of construction and combinations tending to increase the general efciency and the desirability of a basket-making'machine of this particular,character.

n'ToJ4 the foregoing and other; useful ends, the

invention `consists in. mattersV hereinafter set forthand claimed and shown4 in the accompanying drawings, in which- M i Y d Fig; 1 is a side elevation Vof a basket machine embodying the-principles ofthe invention.

Fig. 2 isl a transverse sectionV on a different scale, on line 2-2 in Fig. 4" of the drawings.

Fig. 3 is a similar section on line 3-3 in Fig. 4 of 'the drawings.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged side elevation of the shaping and forming instrumentalities of the machine,I showing the operation of making a basket thereon, with certain portions shown in longitudinal i. section to facilitate the illustration of` the invention. i Fig. 5 is anenlarged fragmentary longitudinal i sectional View; `illustrating the step of shaping Fig. 811s a perspective of one of the iinished baskets, shown upside down.

Fig. 9 is a detailed sectional view showing the ratchet feed for intermittently rotating the tapered basket form.

Fig. 10 is a transverse section on line lll-l0 in Fig. 9 of the drawings.

As-thus illustrated, referring Vto Figs. 1 to 6 inclusive," the invention comprises a tapered basket form l, mounted to'rotate on the reduced end portion (see Fig. 9)l of the longitudinal and horizontally extending bar 2, which latter may be reciprocated longitudinally Aof the machine by anysuitable known or `approved means.

Opposingthe said basket form l, is a bottom clamping plate 3, mounted to be; rotated intermittently' byf the ratchet feed mechanism 4, which latter maybe of any suitable known or approved chz'ai-'actenv A reciprocating ramV or rod 5 extends longitudinally and centrally through the clamping plate 3,andf through the means for intermittently rotating said plate, for the purpose of pushing or forcing the bottom of the basket into the recessed or concave face of the smaller end of the form l, in order in effect to arch the basket bottom. Any suitable or desired means can be employed for operating theram or'rod 5, and foryieldingly vpushing it against the bottom of the basket, so thatwhen the form l is within the housing 6, which latter is rigidly secured to thebody l of the machine, the said ram or rod 5 will then be in the posi-tion shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings. The bottom clamping plate 3 is formed with a gear 8, and within the housing a gear rin-g 9 isv mounted to engage the sides of thebasket between the` top and bottom hoops thereof, as shown more clearly in Fig. 4 of the drawings. Near the lower side of the housing, a counter shaft Ill is mounted, parallel with the axis of the rotary forming instrumentalities, and this counter shaft is provided with a pinion Il for engaging the gear 8, and with another pinion l2 for engaging thergear `ring 9, whereby the latter is rotated intermittently in unison with thebottom Aclamping plate 3, during the operation ofstapling the top hoop i3, the middle hoop I4, and the bottom hoop I5,in place on the downwardly tapered sides of the basket.

The rotary form l may be rotated by its frictional engagement with the basket and by the pressure" of thebottomV clampingA plate 3, and it may also beArotated in unison with the bottom clamping plate by another ratchet device I6, splined on the integral sleeve or hub portion of the form I, so that the form I and bar 2 may reciprocate while the ratchet remains in the vertical plane thereof, as shown in Figs. 9 and 10 of the drawings, if so desired.

The three outside hoops of the basket are stapled in place by the three Staplers II, I8 and I9, the latter stapling the bottom hoop I5 in place, and for this purpose the housing 6 has its upper side provided with slots or openings 20 and 2I, through which the staple formers and drivers operate to insert the staples through theV hoops and through the staves of the basket.

For the purpose of shaping or forming the staves over the corner 22 of the Vsmaller end of the basket form I, the bottom clamping plate 3 is provided with a ring 23 having a tapered flange 24 that extends a distance over the sides of the basket, during the operation of stapling the hoops in place, as shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings. This means, of course, that the flange 24 actually extends between the bottom hoop I5 and the sides ofthe basket, whereby the lower corner formation of the basket is actually completed and fully formed beforethe bottom hoop is stapled in place, and it will be understood that these hoops are formed from strips, so-called hoop strips, that are fed through the three hoop guides 25 to the adjacent upper side of the stave assembly, under the Staplers, so that the latter may progressively staple the hoop strips in place on the sides of the basket, in the well known manner, except that in this case there is a mechanical element, the tapered flange 24, which is between the bottom hoop I5 .and the sides of the basket, during the operation of stapling thisvhoop in place. When the basket is nished, `and the forming instrumentalities are separated, leaving the nished basket on the form I, the said flange 24 is withdrawn from between the hoop I5 and the sides of the basket, in the manner shown in Fig. 6 of the drawings, leaving the lower edge portion of the hoop free to tightly hug the bottom end of the basket, and flush, or practically flush, with the bottom ofY the basket. Ihus the staves 26, from which the mat shown in Fig. 7 is made, are fully shaped and formed, in the bottom construction of the basket, and are tightlyand fully bent over the bottom edge of the basket form, before the bottom hoop issecured in place, and hence the said bottom hoop does not serve to perform the function of making the nal sharp'bend in the staves, over the corner of the Ibasket form, with the construction and method shown and described. Of course, Vto some extent, before the bottom hoopis secured in place, the staves, at a point immedi-f ately beyond the edge of the flange24, are not tightly against the sides of the form, and it is .the ceiling and stapling of the bottom hoop I5 in place that causes them to conform to the curved sides of the. basket form, whenthis hoop is stapled in place. In Fig. 7, the line 2' I indicates approximately the; points at which the staves are bent, and it will be seen that with the annular iiange 24, co-operating with the annular corner 22 of the form, the staves are vactually bent along a curved line,v transversely of the stave, as distinguishedfrom prior methods in which the bending or breaking of the stave was along a straight transverse line. Obviously, with the bottom clamping plate 3 slightly `bulged or crowned on its face 28, as shown in Figs. 4 andA 5 the bottom of y the basket will be more or less concave. However, as is well known, the bottom surface of the bottom wall of a basket of this kind can be perfectly flat, and at the same time have an arched or crowned upper surface to prevent sagging under the load. The bottom hoop I5 functions, in the ultimate or nished basket, as a circumscribing restriction to maintain the said arched formation of the basket bottom.

It will be understood that the Staplers and other common or ordinary portions of the machine may be operated in any suitable known or approved manner, as these elements form no part of the invention. For example, the well known friction brake 29 may be employed in connection with the bottom clamping plate 3, to prevent over-feeding by the ratchet mechanism 4, in the well known manner. In this way, therefore, with the mechanical instrumentalities shown and described, and the method disclosed, a bushel or half bushel basket is produced, from a single mat of crossed staves of wood veneer, thin splint material, that has a nicely molded and rounded outer corner for the bottom of the basket, and that has a bottom hoop, the lower edge of which is ush with the bottom of the basket, or practically so, the said nicely molded or formed corner for the basket being produced first, in the operation of making the basket, so that the said bottom hoop has nothing to do with the said formation of the said bottom corner of the basket, when it is coiled and fastened in place, notwithstanding that the .bottom hoop is not disposed a distanceabove the bottom of the basket,` `but is practically flush therewith, and inthe practice of this method, it is convenientand effectiveto nterpose an annular mechanical element, a thin element, between the hoop and the sides of the basket, as shown and described, during the ceiling and fastening of the bottom hoop in place, inasmuch as thehoop is coiled around the periphery of said annular mechanical element, so that-the latter mustbe withdrawn from between the hoop and the sides of the basket in theoperation of removing the finished basket from the machine;

Itwill be understood that the staples 30, driven through the bottom v hoop I5 and the thin splint staves of the basket, ar e clinched on the sides of thebasketform I, and it will be seen that this is done whilethe ring 23 is holding the rounded bottom corner formation ofthe basket in the exact condition desired' therefor in the ultimate basket. The flange 24couldbe integral with the bottom clamping p late,l but when formed on a separate ring, such as the ring 23, it is obvious that thisflange and the ring may be of hardened steel, while ltheplateflmay be of less expensive metal, such as casti iron. is desirable, in order to guard against breakage of the flangei24, as thelatteris under the `stapler ,I 9 and the staple former and driverof the lattermay exertlsome pressure on the flange, or maycome rather close to it, and *hencel it is desirable that the flange be of tough steel or other material that will not be liable to be injured by theY pounding of the stapler. .Y 'Thus anannular forming element formed with an edge portionadapted to extend within the bottom hoop is essential tof the invention.

. What I claim as my invention is:

1. A machine for hooping a basket, comprising means for supporting the basket and the hoop in position to be lstapledt oget he1 and an annular member adapted to embrace the bottom of the basket: and having a thin edgeportion adapted to extend a distance along the sides of the basket and being unobstructed outwardly thereof sufriciently to extend between the hoop and the basket 'body, to thereby shape and hold the body at points underlying the hoop while the hoop is being stapled.

2. A structure as specified in claim 1, said member being curved and rounded internally to shape the rounded bottom corner of the basket where the downwardly tapering sides join the outer edge of the convex bottom of the basket.

3. A structure as specified in claim 1, said member being movably supported rotatable with the basket to progressively staple the hoop in position adjacent the bottom corner of the basket.

4. A structure as specified in claim 1, comprising automatic means for causing the withdrawal of said edge from between the hoop and the basket body, after the completion of the stapling of the hoop and body together.

5. A structure as specified in claim 1, comprising a bottom clamping plate for clamping and arching the bottom wall of the basket, rigid with said annular member.

6. A structure as specied in claim 1, comprising a bottom clamping plate for clamping and arching the bottom wall of the basket, rigid with said annular member, together with means for communicating power to said clamping plate to rotate the basket.

7. A structure as specied in claim 1, comprising'means for communicating power to said supporting means, and to said annular member, to rotate the basket during the hooping operation.

8. A structure as specified in claim 1, said thin edge stopping short of the staples by which the hoop is secured to the basket, to prevent the staples from engaging said edge, while the latter is in tight engagement with the basket.

9. A machine for making containers, comprising an annular member having a thin edge for positioning between superposed portions of the container, to shape one portion at points underlying the .other portion, and means for effecting a fastening of the portions together While said member is between the two portions, and means for withdrawing said member from between said portions of the container, after the fastening koperation has been completed.

WALTER F. NEWHOUSE. 

